St. David’s HealthCare unites UT professor with bone marrow donor

St. David’s HealthCare united a bone marrow donor and his recipient—a University of Texas (UT) professor—on the football field during halftime this fall when UT played Texas Christian University at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

St. David’s HealthCare, an official healthcare provider of Texas Athletics and the game’s presenting sponsor, worked with Be The Match, a global leader in bone marrow transplantation, to make this heartwarming introduction possible.

“St. David’s HealthCare is proud to have had the opportunity to unite this bone marrow recipient with his donor, as people often don’t see the impact of their donation,” Denise Bradley, vice president of communication and community affairs for St. David’s HealthCare, said. “We hope this presentation encourages others to give the gift of life to a stranger battling cancer.”

Joe Potter, a UT sociology professor, met his donor, 24-year-old Cory Prewit of Fort Worth, for the first time on the field. Potter was diagnosed with leukemia in 2016 and underwent a bone marrow transplant at the Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Center at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center in 2017.

Prewit was an Austin Community College student when he saw a booth on campus for Be The Match, which manages the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world. Prewit swabbed his cheek in 2014 and was called to donate two years later.

“The story of this donor and recipient will no doubt inspire thousands to join the marrow registry. The impact of this event––and the generosity of UT fans—will help patients around the world for years to come,” Samuel Hillhouse, community services manager with GenCure, the local Be The Match center, said.

St. David’s HealthCare and Be The Match also partnered to launch a text hotline for potential donors. Those interested can text TEXAS to 61474, and Be The Match will mail a swab kit to return to the organization. Potential donors will not be asked to donate unless they are found to be a match with a cancer patient. They may get a call within months or may never receive a call.